Major League Baseball (MLB) owners want to make it more difficult for teams to use ball-grabbing tactics on the field. Team owners voted Thursday to approve a rule that would prohibit first and third base coaches from leaving the coaching box on the field before a pitcher has thrown, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports.
MLB owners want to crack down on the tactic because they fear first and third base coaches will move back and forth at the foul line trying to get a better look at pitchers, ESPN reports. Reportedly, if these coaches spot an incoming pitch, they will relay that information directly to the batter or a runner on second base, who can signal the incoming pitch to the batter.
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The league attempted to curb this tactic during the 2025 World Series, when it required the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays to ensure their first and third base coaches remained in designated coaches’ boxes on the field.
With the creation of PitchCom, the art of stealing a catcher’s sign has essentially become extinct in the league. Because MLB teams try to take advantage of any possible advantage, teams and coaches do extensive film study before games, trying to find clues from the pitcher or catcher to determine the next pitch. Unlike the ball-stealing scandal that occurred with the Houston Astros during the 2017 MLB season, this ball-stealing is completely legal because it does not rely on the use of in-game technology.
In 2017, the Astros were accused of using cameras and video monitors to steal opponents’ signals. After MLB investigated the allegations, Commissioner Rob Manfred suspended then-Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and then-manager A.J. Hinch for one year. The Astros fired both men shortly after announcing the suspensions.
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Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora was later suspended for a year due to his involvement in the scandal. Cora coached with the Astros before being hired by the Red Sox in 2018. The Red Sox released Cora before the 2020 season but brought him back for the 2021 MLB season.
Players and coaches can steal a pitcher’s or catcher’s signals during a game without using technology, but MLB thinks the first and third base coaches’ tactics are too brazen, according to ESPN.
The MLB rule book states that first and third base coaches must remain in the dugout from the time the pitcher steps onto the pitching rubber until the ball is caught by the catcher or put into play. However, coaches may leave the coach’s box for safety reasons.
Under the new rules, first- and third-base coaches will receive a warning for their first offense. After that, the coach could be ejected from the game for leaving the dugout prematurely, according to ESPN.